


Lunam Noctem

by ladyastrid



Category: Helix Waltz (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Canon Related, Drama & Romance, F/M, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Pre-Canon, Short
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:40:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24827713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyastrid/pseuds/ladyastrid
Summary: Two noble families, one exalted, the other, disgraced. How did this come about? Why were the Ellensteins removed from the Senate? What is the relationship between Grand Duke Bavlenka and Magda's mother? Based loosely before the events of Helix Waltz, the author's spin on what could have occured. Beware of spoilers!
Relationships: Eliza Ellenstein/Grand Duke Bavlenka
Kudos: 8





	Lunam Noctem

They called her the Cresent Moon of the Ellensteins. 

In the heights of Finsel's noble society, to earn such a name was proof of a lady's success. Everyone moving in Finsel's social circles had heard of the name at least once. Her real name was Eliza Lisbeth Ellenstein. The family of the Ellensteins, while not one of the Four Families, had hung their crest proudly in the Senate for decades. However, she did not rely on the prestige of her family entirely - she was truly a well-bred lady of good class and taste. 

Her mother was deeply concerned for her to attend as many balls as possible. The family's sense of style proved them to be true nobles, not one of the nouveau riche. Her dressing may have initially grabbed the attention at a ball, but the lady herself was nothing short of intoxicating.

Her emerald green eyes could pierce through the dancefloor in seconds. She was perceptive; calculated, almost. Every gesture, every glance seemed to be perfectly timed and well thought out. Despite her youth, many admirers flocked to her, simply because of her art of making conversation.

It was not any lying smile or clearly insincere flattery that drew them, rather it was her serious, slightly aloof countenance that drew the attention of many admirers. She knew exactly what to say and how people would receive it. In fact, she viewed this as her most important profession.

Eliza bore not thought to the gazes of others. She would dance, over and over again with whoever cared to dance with her. To her, as long as she had memorised their preferences, most nobles were boringly predictable and were not worth giving second glances to.

However, there was one noble to whom she had to hold back her gaze. His name was Edward Leopold Bavlenka. He was tall for a man of his age, with fine clothing and a liking for alcohol. There was something deeply attractive about him, a fire, a burning passion, something locked away and seemingly unattainable. Despite his charm, he was unbetrothed and uncommitted. As the only son of the prominent family of the Bavlenkas, Eliza knew his parents would be eager to find an attractive marriage candidate for him.

Eliza had been dancing with a rather chubby baron for what seemed like hours, though it was only a few minutes. Still, she was polite and gentle throughout, as her parents looked on. As she spun, she caught eyes with Edward, who raised up his glass to her, subtly. That was the signal she'd been longing for. After the dance, she curtseyed and backed away as the next song played. Through the silk and ruffles of the other ladies' dresses, she quietly made her way through the crowd, out of the ballroom and into the corridor. Her heels clicked on the hard wooden floor, but before she could react, she was pulled into a dark, smaller sitting room, into the arms of none other than... Edward. 

They leaned against one of the walls, sipping their drinks and talking about nothing. Eliza couldn't help but notice that while he'd brought some strong whiskey for himself, yet he gave her a glass of delicate champagne. Truly, the gentleman knew her better than she had expected. Stolen moments like these, which could only last a few minutes at a time, were all too short and too far between. There were consequences if they were caught, but with his insistence on seeing her in private, how could she resist his offers?

After taking a sip, he suddenly brought up a new topic of conversation.

"What shall we name our children?" 

How forward of him, she thought.

To avoid a direct answer, she asked, "What would you name yours?"

"Leopold, after his great grandfather."

He did not even flinch. Edward could be awfully thick-skinned, but he'd clearly prepared his answer. She couldn't help but blush over the idea that he was idealising their future.

She prompted again, "And what if your first child is a daughter?"

"... She would be Magdalene, or Magda for short."

"Interesting. I like it... Magda."

She looked down into her glass, smiling. As she took a sip, she looked up to see his face, beaming and smug. His toothy grin was something that only Eliza saw, for the most part.

Before they could speak further, they heard loud footsteps coming down the corridor and a voice muttering all sorts of expletives. It was clearly Lord Ellenstein, Eliza's father. Once the footsteps had faded into the distance, she let out a heavy sigh. 

"Excuse me Edward, I really must go."

"A few more minutes, Eliza!"

"I'm sorry, but you know how my father is."

Edward chuckled and in a soft, swift motion, brought her into his embrace. Flushed with embarrassment, she realised quickly that she could feel his warm breath on her neck. He held onto her tightly, as if he couldn't bring himself to let her go. She broke the hold, graciously pulling his arms away and hurriedly kissed him on the cheek as a farewell. He stood motionless as she darted back towards the ball room. She was sad to leave, but overjoyed by his passionate display. 

After all, when the time was right, they'd certainly meet again.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, my dear! I was so invested in what really happened between Eliza and Grand Duke Bavlenka at the end of S1 that I made it up in my head... Also surprised by the lack of fics about it, honestly. This is my first fic so constructive criticism is welcome! :)
> 
> There's more to come!
> 
> -A


End file.
